top of page

Our Commitment to Child Safety


Rochester Affinity Church Planting Network
Grounded in the Safe Sanctuary tradition


Our Conviction
Every child and youth in our care is a gift entrusted to us, and their safety is not negotiable. Rochester Affinity Church Planting Network adopts a Safe Sanctuary approach to ministry — a comprehensive framework used across denominations to protect children, support families, and safeguard the leaders who serve them.
We believe that trust is earned through transparency, consistency, and accountability — not assumed by title or tenure. This document outlines the concrete practices that make that commitment real.


1. Screening & Selection

  • Background checks are required for every staff member and volunteer who works with children or youth, renewed on a regular cycle (no less than every three years).

  • Reference checks are conducted for all new children's and youth workers, including at least one reference from a previous ministry setting.

  • Six-Month Rule: New attendees or members must be part of our community for a minimum of six months before serving unsupervised in children's or youth ministry. This is not a judgment of character — it is a standard applied equally to everyone, so trust has time to build on both sides.

  • Written applications are kept on file for all children's ministry workers, documenting relevant experience and training.

 

2. The Two-Adult Rule

  • No child is ever alone with only one adult. A minimum of two screened, trained adults must be present at all children's and youth activities, without exception.

  • Where only one leader is available, activities do not proceed until a second adult is present.

  • This protects children and also protects our leaders from being placed in a position where their conduct could be questioned or misunderstood.

 

3. Open Door / Open Window Policy

  • All spaces used for children's or youth ministry have visibility — an open door, a window, or clear sightlines from a hallway or common area.

  • Parents and guardians are welcome to observe any session, at any time, without advance notice. We do not consider this an intrusion; we consider it a right.

  • Closed-door, one-on-one meetings between an adult leader and a minor do not occur under any circumstances.

 

4. Ratios & Supervision

  • Age-appropriate adult-to-child ratios are maintained at all times (higher supervision for younger children, adjusted appropriately for older youth).

  • Check-in / check-out procedures are used for younger children, ensuring only an authorized guardian can pick up a child.

  • Off-site activities (field trips, camps, outings) require additional written parental consent and a documented supervision plan.

 

5. Training

  • All children's and youth workers complete Safe Sanctuary training before serving, covering:

    • Recognizing and reporting signs of abuse or neglect

    • Appropriate physical and verbal boundaries with minors

    • Emergency and medical procedures

    • Reporting obligations under New York State law

  • Training is refreshed annually for all active volunteers and staff.

 

6. Mandatory Reporting

  • All leaders are trained as mandated reporters under New York State law and understand their legal and moral obligation to report any suspicion of abuse or neglect to the appropriate authorities.

  • Reports are never delayed, minimized, or handled solely "in house." Suspected abuse is reported to civil authorities (NYS Child Abuse Hotline: 1-800-342-3720) as well as to network leadership.

  • No leader will be pressured, discouraged, or retaliated against for making a good-faith report.

 

7. Communication Guidelines

  • Electronic communication (text, email, social media) between adult leaders and minors follows transparency guidelines: parents are copied or included where appropriate, and private, one-on-one digital communication with a minor outside of ministry purposes is not permitted.

  • Photos and videos of children used in ministry promotion require parental consent on file.

 

8. Accountability & Response

  • Any concern, however small, can be raised without fear of retaliation — by a parent, a child, or another leader.

  • Concerns are documented and addressed promptly by network leadership.

  • If a complaint or concern is raised about a specific leader, that leader is removed from unsupervised contact with children while the matter is reviewed.

 

9. A Standard Applied Equally
These policies apply to every leader in our network — regardless of role, tenure, gender, race, or how well they are known to the community. We do not make exceptions for familiarity or reputation, because consistency is what makes a safety policy trustworthy. A policy that bends for some and not others isn't a safety policy — it's a courtesy, and courtesies aren't what we owe the children in our care.

 

Questions or Concerns
Parents and guardians are always welcome to ask questions about any leader's screening, training, or our policies in general. You do not need a specific concern to ask — transparency is the standard, not the exception.
To report a concern: [contact name / email / phone] To report suspected abuse: NYS Child Abuse & Maltreatment Hotline — 1-800-342-3720
Rochester Affinity Church Planting Network is committed to being a place where every family can trust that their children are safe, seen, and cared for.

bottom of page